The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for transporting and loading articles and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for loading articles at multiple levels.
It is often necessary to load a plurality of articles on different levels. For example, a plurality of articles such as bottles may be placed on respective vertically spaced shelves of a transport or holding rack. By way of further example, a plurality of articles may be stacked one on top of the other so that each subsequent article or layer of articles must be placed at a higher level than the previous level. Such loading operations are often accomplished by manual labor.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a loading apparatus for placing a plurality of articles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack includes a staging assembly. The staging assembly includes a staging platform configured to receive and support the articles. The staging platform is vertically movable to a plurality of positions adjacent the shelves of the rack. A lift drive is provided to raise and lower the staging platform. A positioning system is provided to position the articles on the staging platform and to move the articles onto the shelves of the rack. A conveyor assembly is configured to transport the articles to the staging assembly.
Preferably, the positioning system is operative to position the articles on the staging platform while the lift drive is raising or lowering the staging platform.
The conveyor assembly may include a transfer conveyor and a staging conveyor configured to receive the articles from the transfer conveyor. The staging conveyor is movable with the staging platform and pivotally connected to the transfer conveyor.
Preferably, the staging platform is configured to support an array of the articles and the transfer conveyor is configured to transport the articles seriatim. The positioning system is operative to position rows of the articles from the conveyor assembly onto the staging platform to form an array of the articles and to thereafter move the array of articles from the staging platform onto a shelf of the rack. The conveyor assembly may be operative to position the articles adjacent the staging platform such that the articles are aligned along an axis, with the positioning system being operative to push the articles onto the staging platform in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis.
The loading apparatus may include a rack conveyor system comprising a rack drive. The rack drive is operable to position the rack adjacent the staging platform.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a loading apparatus for vertically stacking a plurality of articles includes a staging assembly. The staging assembly includes a staging platform configured to receive and support the articles. The staging platform is vertically movable to a plurality of vertical levels. A lift drive is provided to raise and lower the staging platform. A positioning system is provided to move the articles off of the staging platform at selected ones of the plurality of levels. A conveyor assembly is configured to transport the articles to the staging assembly.
The positioning system may be operable to remove the articles from the conveyor assembly and position the articles on the staging platform. The conveyor assembly may include a transfer conveyor and a staging conveyor configured to receive the articles from the transfer conveyor, the staging conveyor being movable with the staging platform and pivotally connected to the transfer conveyor.
According to further embodiments of the present invention, a method for placing a plurality of articles on a plurality of vertically stacked shelves of a rack includes raising or lowering a staging platform to a position adjacent a selected shelf of the rack. The articles are placed on the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering. Thereafter, the articles are moved from the staging platform to the selected shelf.
The step of placing the articles on the support platform may include transporting the articles to a position adjacent the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering, and pushing the articles onto the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering. The step of placing the articles on the support platform may include: transporting a first row of the articles to a position adjacent the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering; thereafter, pushing the first row of the articles onto the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering; thereafter, transporting a second row of the articles to a position adjacent the staging platform while the staging platform is raising or lowering; thereafter, pushing the second row of the articles onto the staging platform and adjacent the first row of the articles while the staging platform is raising or lowering to form an array of the articles on the staging platform; and, thereafter, pushing the array of the articles from the staging platform onto the selected shelf of the rack.
Objects of the present invention will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the Figures and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which follow, such description being merely illustrative of the present invention.